


Poker Night

by reve_silencieux



Series: A Time and a Place for Everything [4]
Category: White Collar
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-04
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-12 00:30:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4458401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reve_silencieux/pseuds/reve_silencieux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was supposed to be a guys’ night—play some poker, have a few drinks…</p>
            </blockquote>





	Poker Night

Peter shot Neal an exasperated look as they watched Mozzie and Elizabeth talk. Sara and Elizabeth were going through all the gifts from the baby shower held earlier that day while Peter, Neal, Mozzie and Jones were playing Pai Gow. Neal had already been kicked out of the house and spent the day with the guys. The girls, along with Diana and a few of Sara’s coworkers, had played obnoxious baby games and sipped virgin mimosas. It was now their turn to have a guy’s night of gambling and drinks.

“I'm not sure they got the right one. Does Sara need to take it back or can you still modify it?” Elizabeth held out the baby monitor for Mozzie to look over.

Mozzie scanned the box then opened it and pulled out the transmitter unit. “No, this should do. I can still install the bug jammer. But this one only has one speaker—I thought she wanted two?”

Elizabeth’s eye widened and her mouth opened slightly in surprise. “Oh! I didn't notice that. Thanks, Mozzie.”

“What happened to having a poker night?” Peter grumbled as he picked up his tiles once Elizabeth left and Mozzie dealt.

Moz laid down his tiles as dealer and raised his wine glass. “ _It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view._ ” He sipped his wine and Peter rolled his eyes.

“I'm actually having fun, it's growing on me.” Jones laid down his tiles with a grin, and took a long swig of his beer.

“Of course you would—you're winning.” Peter tossed his down with a sigh.

Neal laughed and laid down his hand, which unfortunately wasn't good enough either. “Oh come on Peter, it's basically the same game. Stop fixating on the fact that it's not poker and you might enjoy it.”

“We can add the death tile if you're interested, Suit. Goodness knows you Fed types need an adversary in everything you do.” Mozzie paid out the winnings, then scooped up all the tiles and dealt out new ones.

Peter glared at the little guy. “I know there's no death tile, Mozzie.”

Mozzie just shrugged. “We could make some.”

Jones chuckled then glanced at Neal. “You know Caffrey, out of all of us, I did not expect you to be the one having a kid.”

Neal raised an eyebrow. “What, the ex-con's not allowed to have a life and settle down?”

“No, that's not what I meant.” He nodded over to Peter. “I just figured Peter and Elizabeth to be the first one to pop one out.”

“Elizabeth and I are plenty happy without kids. Satchmo is enough for us.” Peter laid down his hand with a smile, finally having some good luck. “Besides,” he shrugged. “Neal filled my time. He’s my own personal three year old.”

“Oh, ha-ha, real funny.” Neal rolled his eyes and picked up his wine glass.

“He is like a big kid,” Jones agreed, grinning.

Peter nodded. “Exactly. What with all the years I spent chasing after him, and him grabbing everything in sight that didn't belong to him.”

“And you having to put him in time-out.”

“He didn’t like that too much.”

Jones chuckled and shook his head. “No, he did not. And it didn't take too well, either.”

Peter grinned. “Right, so then I had to rein him in again, and teach him to play nice and share with others.”

“Hey!” Neal exclaimed, frowning. “I play well with others.”

Jones and Peter laughed, sharing a knowing look.

“Well he did manage to get a girl,” Jones pointed out.

“After stealing her Raphael.”

“Which is like pulling her pig tails and running off.”

Neal sighed and leaned back, crossing his arms.

“She did break it off with him.”

Peter raised his beer. “True. He _was_ hanging out with the wrong people. Keeping secrets, stealing other kids’ stuff—definitely a bad influence.”

Mozzie, who had until now been watching the conversation with a big grin, scowled. “Hey now!”

“Cue the teenage angst and the running away from home,” Jones continued, ignoring Mozzie.

Nodding, Peter took a drink from his bottle. “And I had to go hunt him down and drag him back. Of course, then he went off to college to,” Peter made air quotes, “ _find himself_.”

“Don't forget about the drinking.”

Peter's eyes lit up. “Oh yes, we can't forget the whiskey incident.”

“Well, what do you expect after finding out that Dad cheated on Mom?” Neal argued, giving Peter a pointed look.

Banging his bottle on the table, Peter glared at him and shook his head. “Girl goes off to a different college, leaving him all lonely and miserable.”

“I was NOT miserable!” Neal blurted out.

All three men shook their head at this. “Yes, you were,” they said in unison and grinned at each other.

“He graduates from college, gets a job and wins girl back.”

“And lives happily ever after—the end,” Neal finished for them, slumping in his seat.

“I think it's a good story.” Peter took another drink.

Jones nodded. “A tale of triumph and overcoming the odds.”

All four of them sat there, sipping their beverage of choice, silently contemplating the past few years and the changes in all of their lives since Neal had come to work for Peter. None of them really could have predicted this moment or the fact that Neal _had_ settled down. While Peter had hoped and tried hard to convince Neal of the good in him, he'd always doubted that Neal would actually change. He liked to think he was a part of Neal's progression, but he knew Sara had been played a big part too. He wondered if Neal would have stuck around if she hadn’t returned to New York.

Sara walked through at that moment and disappeared into the kitchen before returning a minute later with a plate of brownies in her hands.

“You know, she should lay off the sweets or else she’s not going to fit into those dresses of hers once she has the kid,” Mozzie remarked after Sara had walked out of the room.

“I wouldn't say that too loudly, if I were you, Moz.”

Mozzie waved his hand. “Oh don't worry, she has pregnancy brain, she won't hear it.”

“You're digging your own grave then.” Neal shook his head, looking at his friend skeptically.

“Well, it's the truth.”

Jones snorted. “That's rich coming from you.”

Mozzie glared at him then turned to Neal. “Look at me, drinking and playing with the feds. What have you done to me, Neal?” He drained his wine glass and stood up. “I'm going where I'm wanted.” He walked off and went upstairs to find the girls.

Neal glanced at Peter. “Poker?”

Peter exhaled. “Yes, _please._ ”


End file.
